African Art Auction Ending 11/26

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FOUR WEST AFRICAN CURRENCY SPEARS AND SPEAR POINTS. Transformation of the spear from a weapon into a small object devoted to ceremony and exchange as currency is manifested by an array of unusual forms in Africa. Each on a custom base. (A) Bene or Bane people, Cameroon. Miniature spear. Hand forged iron. H 11.5in. (B) Mangbetu people, Congo. Small version of a spear point with dull edges and a blunt point. Hand forged iron. H 6in. (C) Fang people, Gabon. Spear point with dull edges and blunt tip. H 8in. (D) Bene or Bane people, Cameroon. Miniature spear. Hand forged iron. H 11.5in.

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TEKULA OR AFRICAN CAMWOOD POWDER BLOCK. Kuba people, Congo. The red powder which has been compressed into a block is derived from the bark and heartwood of the African camwood tree, Baphia nitida. This is an authentic tekula block from Africa. Tekula was highly prized by the Kuba people who mixed it with fat to use as a body and hair coloring, and to anoint bodies before burial. A dye made from this powder was also used to color cloth. This highly treasured cosmetic was stored in specially design semi-lunar, elaborately carved boxes.

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THREE UNUSUAL POUNDERS. A pounder is a type of pestle used in many regions of the world to beat grain into flour or to beat moistened plant material to make a paste or to soften cloth. (A) Possibly Tellem people, Mali. Excavated north of Bandiagara in the Dogon region. Said to be hundreds of years old. Chip marks evident on surface which has area of smooth patina, especially on the ends, indicative of heavy use. H 18in. Weight 4lb. (B) GoGo people, Tanzania. Bone pounder. Decorated with cruciform designs made by inserting tiny beads into drilled holes. Bone appears older than the decorations. Signs of use, especially on handle. Source of bone and use not known. H 10.5in Weight 2 lb. (C) Possibly Kenya. Ancient hippopotamus tooth. Surface of wide end carved into a grid. Used for stamping designs on cloth, and possibly for grinding plant material for ceremonial purposes. On custom base. H 4in.

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TWO CEREMONIAL KNIVES. (A) Poto people, Congo. Used as a weapon and as a parade knife. The haft splits into two arched “legs” before it is inserted into the wood handle. The blade is decorated with engraved designs and four round brass inserts at the top. Sharp edges. On custom base. Hand forged iron, brass, wood. H 22.5in. (B) Mongo people, Congo. Weapon and parade knife. Blade strengthened by curved veins along entire length forming a Y at the top. Edges sharp. On custom base. Hand forged iron, wood. H 20in.

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THREE WEST AFRICAN BELLS. A gong is a musical instrument without a membrane or strings that must be struck to produce sound. A bell is a gong inside of which a clapper has been suspended. Sound is produced when the bell is moved and the clapper strikes the inside. Most African bells are made of iron, but brass, copper, wood, and even stone may be used. All exhibited at Pen and Brush Gallery New York 2003. (A) Senufo people, Burkina Faso. Probably a cow bell. The clapper is suspended from a ring at the top. On custom base. Iron. H 5in. (B) Yoruba people, Nigeria. Tulip-shaped brass bell cast by the lost wax method with iron clapper suspended from a hook at the top. A defect repaired with solder (native repair). Cast brass bells of the Yoruba were placed on altars for use by priests. On custom base. H 6.5in. (C) Yoruba people, Nigeria. Priest’s bell with four feet that was suspended by cloth. Rung at an altar to attract the attention of spirits and Gods. Iron, cloth. H 7.5in.

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THREE WEST AFRICAN GONGS. Gongs are used to accompany singing and dancing, to summon people, and at various rituals like funerals. They are symbols of leadership and were sometimes used as currency. (A) Bambara people, Mali. Rasp gong. The performer holds the ring in one hand and with the other hands strikes the gong with the iron rod or runs the rod over the serrated edges of the slit to produce a rasping sound. Collected in Bamako, Mali in 2003. On custom base. H 9in. (B) Ibo people, Nigeria. Two asymmetric gongs joined by an arched handle that is wrapped in leather. Struck with a wood mallet. On custom base. Iron, leather. H 9.5in. (C) Lobi people, Burkina Faso. Asymmetric, tall bell-shaped gong with handle. Iron. H 12.5in.

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THREE WEST AFRICAN BELLS. (A) Luba people, Congo. Wood wrist bell with slit. Clapper is a hand carved wooden ball that was inserted through the top which is now closed. Hung from wrist by a strap and rope. Sonorous sound. Wood, rope, leather. H 3in. (B) Fon people, Benin. Bicone bell in which the shafts of two bells were joined side to side by a blacksmith to create a single shaft. On custom base. Iron. H 10in. (C) Fon people, Benin. Exceptional multicone bell (8 bells) created by a blacksmith who fused the shafts of 4 bicone bells side to side around the body of an iron snake. The head of the snake is at the top, and its tail forms a double loop between the bells at the bottom. Was used by a Voodun priest to summon Gods and to communicate with the spirits of ancestors. Remnants of white pigment from libations on lower bells and snake’s tail. On custom base. Iron, pigment. H 12in.

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SIX AX BLADE-FORM CURRENCY PIECES. Fang people, Cameroon and Gabon. In the form of a traditional ax blade that has been made non-functional by notching the blade and/or bending the spine that would fit into a wood handle. Each on custom base. Iron. H 4.5in to 6.75in.

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VERY OLD SPEAR POINT CURRENCY. Probably Mangbetu people, Congo in the Ubangi River region. Dates from the 1800s. Altered by extensive oxidation. On custom base. Ex Roberto Ballarini collection. Iron. H 8in.

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HEXAGONAL IRON SHEET CURRENCY. Boubi people, Equatorial Guinea (Malabo Island, formerly Fernando Po}. The Boubi number about 15,000 people living in the mountainous rainforests of Malabo Island. This isolated tribe has until recently worked mostly with stone tools, having little knowledge of forging iron. This piece is said to date from the 1850-1900. On custom base. Ex Roberto Ballarini collection. Iron. H 10.5in.

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OLD MINIATURE RATTLE. Chamba people, Cameroon and Nigeria. This musical instrument was held by the arched bar and shaken. Dates from the late 1800s. Heavily oxidized. On custom base. Iron. Width 7in. H 4in.

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HEADCREST MASK. Bamana people, Mali. Wood. H 26.5 in.